Bulgarian river navigation is based in Rousse. Rousse port is one of the main links between Bulgarian and the Soviet Union, The Bridge of Friendship built in 1954, is extremely important for the country's economy, Some 2.8 km long, its middle part can lift up at high tide. It is one of the Bulgarian- Romanian border check points. Buildings in the town centre show its prosperity in the beginning of the century , influenced by Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest with Baroque, Renaissance and Secession characteristics. Some 120 buildings have been declared local monuments and 10 national cultural monu ments. A small number of buildings from the old town have been reserved, including the Turkish bath, the naval tower and Islyahhane hotel.
ihe town has rich cultural traditions. The theatre is 80 years old, the State Opera was built in 1949, and the Symphony Orchestra founded in 1947, Every year the town hosts the traditional international festival 'March Days of Symphony Music'.
Monuments: the Monument to Freedom, by Italian sculptor Arnoldo Zocchi in the city park in the town centre.
Youth Park has monuments to many important persons from Bulgaria's history.
Che Lipnik National Park is under construction between the Danube and the road to Veliko Turnovo.
33 km from the town between the meandering of the Che mi Lorn are the ruins of the mediaeval fortress ofCherven and near the village of Ivanovo are the ruins of seven churches. Best preserved is the Archangel Church, also known as the Ivanovo Monastery. It has admirable frescoes by unknown masters who are supposed to have belonged to the Turnovo school of Painting. The Ivanovo churches have been declared valuable works of art by UNESCO.
Hotels: Riga, 22 Stamboliiski St., 3 stars, 16 floors, 8 suites, 21 single and 151 double rooms; restaurant, day bar and night club, cafe, hairdresser's, free shop, post office, information bureau, covered parking lot, rent-a-car office (tel. 21-84). Dounav, 3 T.Tserkovski St., two stars, 3 floors, 6 suites and 142 beds; restaurant, day bar and night club, cafe, information bureau and rent-a-car office (tel. 2-65-18) sofia sightseeing. Varsha- va tel. 2-40-61.
Balkantourist
Balkantourist office: 1, Raiko Daskalov Str., tel. 2-24-06. 2-52-50
Road assistance technical service and information 10a Ra- kovski St., tel. 2-65-59.
Back to the town of By ala along the E-85 road and southwards. Some 20 km away is the village of Koutsina. Nearby are the ruins of the Roman town of Nikopolis ad Istrum — an important administrative and military centre in Lower Moesia in the 2nd-3rd centuries. It was founded by Emperor Mark Ul- pius Trajanus (98-117) in honour of his victory in 102 A.C. over the Dacis, who inhabited the lands north of the Danube. The Goths captured and destroyed the town in mid-3rd century. It was restored by the Byzantines and again devastated by the Avars in the 7th century. During the First and Second Bulgarian States there was a small settlement on the same site. During its peak in the 2nd and early 3rd century (the town was a strong fortress guarding the military and commercial roads from the Danube to Constantinople and from the Black Sea to Sofia.
The town was protected by a solid fortress wall with towers. The streets led to the central square (forum), around it was a covered theatre seating 350 — the only one of its kind in the Balkans. The City Council was to the north. The best preserved building is the brick reservoir west of the town walls which supplied the town's drinking water. Columns, capitals, sacrificial altars, pedestals, pediments, ornaments and decorations were found here, as well as a bust of Emperor Gordian III (238-244) and a statue of Eros.
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